Academic Profile

Ms. KJ Mabaso is a lecturer in Microbiology and a Researcher specializing in Bioinformatics and environmental
biotechnology.
Teaching 

Kgodiso teaches Microbiology II (1st year) and Microbiology III (2nd year), and supervises biotechnology PGDip and Postgraduate students.

Postgraduate Supervision

She is interested in supervising Master’s and PhD students whose projects explore microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and sustainable bioprocesses. Her goal is to mentor research that advances renewable energy, bioremediation, and innovative applications of microbial biotechnology with environmental and industrial relevance.

Research Focus

Kgodiso’s research explores the microbial ecology and functional potential of ruminant and wastewater microbiomes, using bioinformatics and molecular tools to unravel community structure and metabolic pathways. I focus on sustainable bioprocesses for biomass valorization, particularly renewable energy production through biomethane and biogas, and on mechanistically informed strategies for bioremediation and enhanced anaerobic digestion. Integrating microbial isolation, enzyme characterization, and metabolic and transcriptomic analyses, my work advances translational applications that optimize lignocellulosic biomass conversion and other bioprocesses with environmental and industrial relevance.

Outreach & Impact 

She supports Work-Integrated Learning students through CV writing guidance and review, enhancing their career
readiness and employability.

Innovation & applied research
Kgodiso’s doctoral research on bioprospecting the goat’s gastrointestinal microbiota and pretreatment strategies for sugarcane bagasse degradation exemplifies innovation and applied research, advancing biomethane production and sustainable bioprocesses with environmental and industrial relevance.